


The Art of Subconscious Illusions

by 185cmbaekhyun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Demonic Possession, Hand Jobs, Haunted Houses, Light Angst, M/M, Movie Night, Scary Movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 18:34:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30026094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/185cmbaekhyun/pseuds/185cmbaekhyun
Summary: “Wait, Jongin. What kind of movie is this?”“Paranormal Activity,” He answers straightforwardly, eyes never leaving the TV. Sehun’s eyes widen in utmost distress.“Wait, what? You said it was romance.”“I never said that. I said it was about a couple. There it is. The couple.”
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	The Art of Subconscious Illusions

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the first Midnight Tales round of the CASE–94 Fest for Oh Sehun.
> 
> Another work that I deleted and decided to repost cause I will not lose my horror stories writer brand :)

Being back to the dorm brings all kinds of nostalgic memories, even though it hasn't been relatively long since Sehun moved out. Sadly, The residence is mostly unoccupied these days, but many of their inessential belongings are still scattered through the rooms, misplaced and collecting dust. Nonetheless, it’s still available should they need an accessible place to crash at during their hectic schedules. 

Chanyeol switches the lights on as soon as they step inside, and for a split second Sehun can visualize his hyungs inhabiting every nook and cranny noisily, reprimanding each other or making jokes. Sometimes they argued too, going as far throwing things at each other and calling each other names. Just like a family. 

The incessant noises kept the dorm alight, and now that it’s covered in silence, all that remains is delightful memories. 

"What a mess, dude" Chanyeol remarks, yanking Sehun out of his thoughts, where the dorm is no longer a typical boys-living-together mess, but a neglected one. 

"They should have dropped it somewhere around here?" Sehun gestures at the unpacked boxes piling up at the door. Chanyeol groans in discernible irritation, before bending down and digging around the packages. Sehun tagged along supposedly to help scavenge, but honestly, he's not really in a helpful mood anymore. Something about being back to an empty dorm kind of killed it for him. 

Besides, he knows Chanyeol can find it in no time if he does it on his own rather than having Sehun's bratty complaints in his ear. 

Sehun turns on his heels and wanders further into the dorm for some casual exploring. If he’s not mistaken, some of his old video games are still in his former room, and he considers gathering them to offer for donations. Some of the furniture is stowed into the corners, covered by sheets to shield them from the eventual approaching dust. The house desperately needs the attention of some top-level clean-up service as soon as possible. 

He halts by the living room when he catches sight of a creeping figure standing motionless in front of the TV. The dim lights emitting from the screen are the only source of light in the room, where the stranger keeps his head hanging low, as if in a sinister trance. Sehun sucks in a panicked breath. The dorm has been broken into. He’s about to backpedal, and drag Chanyeol out of the house, when the silhouette turns around slowly as though it felt Sehun’s presence.

"Shit, Jongin. You scared the hell out of me." Sehun screeches, bringing a hand to chest, his heart leaping in a frenzy. "I wasn't expecting to find you here."

Jongin’s clad in his pajamas. The white set, littered with small baby brown bears, that Sehun finds particularly adorable. His heart immediately decreases in its pace, and clenches warmly instead. Jongin’s smiling at him with that languid smile of his, freshly showered, making Sehun feel like a fool for mistaking him for an intruder. Or a ghost for that matter. But that isn't relevant now.

"I'm crashing here these days." Jongin explains, fiddling with the remote. His hair is still damp and sticking funnily and wildly to all sides over his head, like he didn’t bother combing it and just ruffled it aggressively with the towel. Sehun can see some habits never die. 

"By yourself?"

"Yeah," 

Sehun hums impressively. It takes a lot of courage to house in an empty place completely by yourself. Sehun would never have the balls for such oddity. But Jongin’s always been unafraid . The guy fears nothing.

"What are you doing here?" Jongin questions, eyes now directed to the TV as he scrolls attentively through a list of movies. The light casts over his features, and from his position Sehun can see he’s pouting, like he does when he’s concentrating. He didn’t even know about Jongin’s new hair color. It suits him nicely. The length of his hair is quite long too, and Sehun can only imagine how it would fall prettily around his handsome face once it’s styled and dry. 

Goddamn it, Sehun misses him so much.

"I came with Hyung to get a package.” Sehun remembers to respond, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans just to have something to do with them other than let them sweat pathetically.

“Ah, they come all the time. They’re piling up at the door.” Jongin motions blindly towards the entrance with the remote. 

“What are you up to?” Sehun drifts closer, peeking over Jongin’s shoulder. The sweet smell of soap and Jongin’s natural scent hits his nostrils. He bites his tongue to keep whatever indecent moan that irrationally threatens to slip out to let out at bay. 

“Nothing much. The day was busy, so I’m trying to relax with some movies.” 

Jongin is always up for a movie night whenever he needs to relax. It’s what he calls healing time. Usually, he’s inclined towards the spooky ones, for whatever reason. Sehun doesn’t judge, not anymore at least. Everybody is entitled for their own weirdnesses, and regardless of Jongin’s, he’s still endearing in each and every sense. However, Sehun does not mess with anything horror related. This is called self-preservation of the mind and the soul.

“What movie are you watching?”

“It’s about a couple struggling with their relationship. It’s like a documentary.”

Surprisingly, that doesn’t sound too spooky. Not on Jongin’s levels. He studies the poster on the TV. There’s a couple lying on a bed. The man is deep in slumber under the sheets, but the woman is sitting, lost in thoughts. The void expression you have when your relationship is going downhill. 

“Sounds interesting,” Something Sehun would be willing to watch for a change. Especially if the plot brings out sappy romance he could bawl his eyes out to. Chanyeol shows up at the door, with a small box tucked under his arm.

“Found it,” He says, before his big eyes go even wider enthusiastically as he spots Jongin. “Oh, hey Jongin-ah. Didn’t know you were here.”

“What’s up, Hyung!” Jongin greets with matching enthusiasm. Every time these two meet is like flowers suddenly start blooming under the bright sun. 

“I have a birthday party to attend now. Do you guys wanna come?” Invites Chanyeol, sauntering towards them. 

Of course, Jongin turns the invitation down kindly. “No, thanks.” Chanyeol doesn’t insist further. They both know that in order to drag Jongin out of the house they need days of preparation and sugarcoating. It’s something about needing enough time to prepare himself mentally before socializing, Jongin told them once. They shrugged it off. 

“Actually, I think I’ll stay a little longer. Hyung, you can go.”

Knowingly, Chanyeol rolls his eyes at him. “You said you were--”

“I have a few things to sort out here.” Sehun cuts in, before Chanyeol ends up exposing him on purpose. He nods at the elder, emphatically. Chanyeol sighs, but rolls along with it. 

“Ok, fine. See you tomorrow, then.”

“Have fun, Channie.” Jongin throws himself at him, burying himself against Chanyeol’s chest, always so clingy. Sehun’s eyes narrow enviously. He doesn’t have the privilege to get such a receptive reaction. Chanyeol chuckles and pats Jongin’s hair with his free arm. 

“I miss you Jonginnie. Let’s hit the gym some time. You still owe me a challenge.”

Jongin nods and snuggles up closer against his hyung. Chanyeol shoots Sehun a suggestive, kind of provocative glance from behind Jongin’s shoulder. Sehun would be jealous of the fact they’re gym buddies, then he remembers he actually hates the gym with strong passion. Jongin sees Chanyeol to the door, still attached to his waist. Sehun stays behind, listening as they make plans for their gym dates. Sehun’s absolutely  _ not  _ jealous.

He settles himself on the couch, pulls his legs over the coffee table for a stretch. When Jongin returns he frowns down at him; Sehun’s thrown him off a bit, not like that’s hard to do, and it never fails to amuse him. “Should we get some popcorn? Or do you prefer some snacks?”

“Wait, you’re staying for the movie?”

“Uh, yeah. We haven’t spent time together lately, so I thought-- Why not? I have the day off tomorrow. Kinda.” Sehun shrugs nonchalantly. The frown is still etched on Jongin’s brow. He gives Sehun a once over with a critically narrowed gaze.

“Are you sure?”

Sehun nods again, bats his eyelashes up at him convincingly. He sees the smile slowly take form on Jongin’s lips, and when it settles, it looks divine. 

“I’ll go get the snacks then.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


👻👻👻

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A few minutes later, they portion out the food and get situated nicely on the couch. Jongin takes the opposite far end of it, putting a noticeable distance between them. Sehun doesn’t comment, though his heart can’t help but break a little. Jongin’s distance is not entirely unreasonable. Their movie nights used to always escalate to extensive rounds of sex, but this time, that’s not why Sehun’s stayed. He just genuinely misses spending time with Jongin. Even if just to watch a meaningless movie and not even chat at all. Just being with Jongin makes up for all of that.

As the movie starts, Sehun tries to focus on it. He knows Jongin will want to discuss it thoroughly when the movie is over, so he needs to at least understand what’s going on to make sure he doesn’t let Jongin down later. Documentaries are actually boring, in Sehun’s honest opinion. Especially this one, where the movie producers clearly didn’t even attempt to enhance the quality of the image. It looks like they completely overlooked production standards altogether and released whatever the character recorded on a cheap, portable camera. 

Micah and Katie seem to lead an ordinary life, sharing a small house in the suburbs of California. They’re average looking too, and for the first 20 minutes of the movie it doesn’t seem like the plot is developing at all. They have a couple of arguments about Katie not agreeing with Micah recording their daily life. She’s right. That just seems excessive and unnecessary. Though Sehun doesn’t think that’s a plausible reason to damage their relationship. The fact that they don’t even cuddle while they sleep, now that’s questionable.

Occasionally, he chances a few furtive glances at Jongin, finding him trapped into the movie like he’s in anticipation for something. He’s snuggled under the blanket he fetched from his room, and his hair has now fallen over his eyes too. Gradually, Sehun slips further and further into Jongin’s orbit. Sehun suspects that Jongin’s scooted over slightly too, the space between them seemingly shortened. 

Sehun fights the urge to slide all the way towards him, put his arms around Jongin, and bathe in his everlasting warmth. He’d do it thoughtlessly if it was Chanyeol or Junmyeon sitting beside him, but when it comes to Jongin, he finds himself frozen and oddly nervous. 

It doesn’t take long before Jongin gets the memo. Or maybe he had similar thoughts, since their moods are often aligned. He closes the distance between them, and silently rests his head on Sehun’s shoulder, adjusting the blanket around their laps. Sehun fights a flustered smile, even though Jongin can’t see it, and focuses back on the movie with a fluttering heart.

In the movie, an elderly man has just come to visit the couple’s house. They soon start discussing Katie's past. She melodramatically tells him about a ghost that used to haunt her and her sister when they were little, and how she has mild suspicions that the ghost has somehow found her again and has been lurking around her house. Sehun stills, peers down at Jongin skeptically. 

“Wait, Jongin. What kind of movie is this?”

“Paranormal Activity,” He answers straightforwardly, eyes never leaving the TV. Sehun’s eyes widen in utmost distress. 

“Wait, what? You said it was romance.”

“I never said that. I said it was about a couple. There it is. The couple.”

“In a haunted house?! Are you kidding me?” He splutters, shoving Jongin off of him roughly. “You lied to me. Screw you. I hope this stupid ghost comes to your bed while you sleep and  _ terrorizes  _ the shit out of you.”

“Ouch, man. Why are you so mad? It's just a movie. We can’t even see the boogie man. He’s invisible.” Jongin whines, rubbing at his bicep. Sehun mutters indignantly. Only Jongin would call that a boogie man, as if it’s a child rated movie. And who said the boogie man isn’t just as scary? Sehun is so beyond pissed. He’s about to protest when suddenly a shrill scream sounds from the screen, making him yelp. 

Katie’s pointing at nothing, panicking and claiming that she felt a presence lingering around her in their bedroom. The fact that the monster is invisible only makes it even more terrifying. Sehun doesn’t need to look to know Jongin’s stifling his laugh, mocking him.

“I knew you’d be butthurt if I told you, but I actually wanted you to stay. If you want, you can leave. I won’t be mad.” He huffs, already sounding upset. The pout that forms

on his chubby lips now reflects his disappointment. Sehun must have it  _ bad  _ for him if he can easily distinguish all his pouts. What an accomplishment. 

Sehun considers leaving for a minute, but that would mean he’d have to drive alone, and sleep in his house all alone too. Chanyeol would probably party all night, most likely score himself a hookup. Junmeyon is dispatched God knows where in the fucking army.  _ Sehun’s royally fucked. _

And on top of that, he also doesn’t want to leave Jongin. Not this soon. Not when he hasn’t seen him properly in months. He knows these types of movies are a big deal to him.  _ Go figure  _ . Jongin’s sulking and sniffing as though he’s miserably battling his tears. And now--spoiler alert--Sehun feels like an enormous asshole now for overreacting.

“I was just upset you didn’t tell me at first so I could prepare myself. I’m not leaving. I can totally watch this.” He lies right through his teeth, keeping his chin up, hoping he can come off as … less of a pussy. Jongin chokes on a laugh.

“No, you can’t. You cried when we watched The Conjuring together.”

Sehun scorns, affronted.

“That was years ago. I’m all grown up now. These movies got nothing on me.” He wants to impress Jongin so much it’s ridiculous. “I’ve seen like, tons of them.”

Jongin lets out an amused huff. “Which ones?” He asks challengingly, poking fun at him. He stares at Sehun expectantly, clearly having the time of his life with Sehun’s meltdown. 

Refusing to back down, Sehun tries recalling any horror movie he’s heard of; Jongin actually talks about them all the time, although barely anyone understands what he’s describing. He gets all giddy and excited and glowy when he does. Aim for the blockbusters, Sehun thinks, shifting under the blanket. He tries recollecting distant information he might have caught here and there about the most popular recent horror movies, that for some inexplicable reason managed to steal people’s attention  _ and  _ money. Those movies with poor screenplay, abundant plot holes, and even worse endings, that pursued shock-factor instead of logic. 

“The one about the doll. Really lame. Also, the one about the Nun. Anyway, they’re all the same thing.” He says off-handedly, attempting to humor the other. Jongin shakes his head in mild irritation. 

“No, they’re not. Horror movies have a very extensive list of sub-genres. I particularly prefer the survival ones. There’s also, comedy horror, folk horror, body horror, found footage, holiday horror, psychological horror, science fiction horror, slasher, supernatural horror, gothic horror, natural horror, zombie films, and teen horror.”

Sehun grows speechless. Jongin’s knowledge of horror cinematography is all kinds of mind-blowing. “Yeah, whatever. They’re all the same thing to me. Now, come on. Carry on with the movie.” He prompts, concluding he might as well sacrifice his sleep and his mental health altogether. He can do this. He totally can. He might just watch Jongin’s gorgeous face instead, and take advantage of the situation to cuddle up to him some more since he has a blatant excuse now. Seriously, the things he does for this man...

“Alright,” Jongin mumbles with a little triumphant smile that he fails to hide. 

Much to Sehun’s discontentment, Jongin doesn’t forget to rewind the movie back to pick up where they left off. He allows Sehun to snuggle up against his side, and just like that, they switch positions. It’s always been natural between them. 

Now that Sehun is safely tucked beneath Jongin’s arm, he isn’t afraid to squeeze him just a little bit tighter with the crescendo of the music, signaling an important moment incoming. They lean into each other, now sharing the blanket, and eventually link hands, only to tighten their grips when they get scared.

Throughout the course of the movie, Sehun shrinks further into Jongin’s chest in hopes that he’ll swallow him whole. He casts alarmed glances up at Jongin every so often, especially when he knows something bad is about to happen. He wonders if Jongin’s putting up a good front, but he just seems to be unfazed by all the horrors of the movie. If anything, he looks like he’s enjoying himself.

Sehun avoids the screen with defiance, opting to stare at a spot just behind the shelf, or the frames still displayed on the walls that Minseok artfully arranged a while back. He hears Katie scream for Micah. It makes his skin grow cold. Still, he refuses to look. All that matters is that Jongin’s there, holding him close, and unlike the ghost from the movie, Jongin’s very much real. 

The worst jumpscare startles them right at the end of the movie. By then, Sehun's basically crawling out of his skin, even though he barely glanced at the TV. The movie ends leaving plenty of questions unanswered, Sehun's stomach swirling uncomfortably and his skin tingling coldly. 

Jongin sits up and grabs the remote. He turns the TV off forcefully and heaves a restful sigh. He actually looks serene, healed.

"Wait, did she kill him?" 

“She did. Crazy, right?”

“Is that it? They didn't even catch the ghost!” That was by far the worst movie ending ever. Sehun slumps back against the couch and stares up at the ceiling, letting out a sharp breath, feeling empty but also like he's drowning in his own fears. That makes Jongin chuckle.

“Are you sure? The ghost is  _ in  _ her.” He says it like it's the coolest thing since bubble tea was invented, glee dancing in his honey brown eyes. He's unbelievable.

“What a waste of time. I told you these types of movies suck.”

“It wasn’t a waste of time to me. I enjoyed it quite a lot. And it wasn’t a waste of time for you either. You slept through most of it.” Jongin looks at him fondly, eyelids moving slowly as he blinks sleepily. 

“I wish I had slept.” Sehun retorts. Sleeping is the least of his concerns right now. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees glimpses of Katie plunging at him. In contrast, Jongin yawns deeply, a hand covering his mouth as it stretches lazily. 

“You’re staying over or--?”

“Absolutely. I’m not sleeping alone after that. And you’re gonna be my big spoon.” Sehun demands, earning a content smile from Jongin. 

“Yeah, that sounds good. At least you’ll stop whining.”

He pushes himself up and offers a hand to Sehun, who takes it firmly like he's scared Jongin might leave him should he as much as blink. Together they switch to the bedroom and settle in bed. Jongin lends him some of his sweats and a toothbrush as they go through their before-bed routine in silence. It reminds Sehun a lot of old times. In spite of the glimpses from the horror movie they just watched still flashing in his mind, being with Jongin feels nice. 

“What happened to Katie?” He questions despite himself. He is not curious in the first place, he couldn't care less actually. But Katie did love Micah, didn't she? Shouldn't their love defeat the evil forces? As Jongin turns the bedside lamp off, his answer floats through the darkness.

“She went missing.”

“This is sad. Why did the ghost do that to her?”

“It was inevitable. Micah was meant to die by staying with her. You’d have to watch the sequel to understand the reasoning." Jongin slips under the covers, reaching out to him. 

“No thanks, I’d rather cuddle now.” Sehun says, and Jongin soon grants his wish, pulling Sehun close as if he were a pillow, and it’s easy to move as one. Sehun would be indignant, but Jongin already seems to be mostly asleep when he does it. With Jongin spooning him so dutifully, goosebumps start rising where their skin touches. Jongin’s warm breath scatters across the base of Sehun’s neck, and something like a sleepy babble falls from his lips. Only half coherent. 

Peripheral thoughts of invisible demons are the farthest thing in Sehun’s mind right now, but he’s breathless all the same. Different reasons. The fear feels similar though. Exhilarating in some ways, but sickening in others. 

Eventually, Jongin's warmth lures his mind to silence, and soon brings him to sleep. 

  
  
  
  
  


👻👻👻

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sehun awakens as if it's an emergency, as if sleeping has become a dangerous thing, his mind shaking him back to reality in warning. There's a sensation like he's falling into an endless pit of darkness and he can't move his limbs. The dreadful sensation lingers for a while, with his heart beating fast and a buzzing in his brain. 

Glancing sideways, he sees Jongin sleeping peacefully, wrapped in rumpled sheets. The reliability in that sight allows Sehun's limbs to be finally released from the anguished paralysis. He lets out an exasperated sigh, followed by a deep groan. Beads of sweat drench his forehead, so he swipes the back of his hand against it, feeling like he shouldn't be there. When he finally manages to process everything, he realizes they're not in their room. 

Panic shoots through him. He blinks, closes his eyes, then blinks again. The blurriness of his vision fades. His head whips around frantically, taking in the foreign room. The headrush has him a little dizzy, but soon his senses are completely alarmed. 

The room is considerably small for his standards, with only a queen size bed, two small dressers on each side, - with an outdated TV device on one of them, and a camera sitting on a tripod set-up right across from them. 

“Jongin, wake up. Fuck, wake up.” He nudges Jongin's sleeping form rather harshly, rousing him from his slumber. Jongin swats a hand at him aimlessly, sitting up slowly. He rubs the remainders of sleep from his eyes before sweeping them across his surroundings. 

“What?” He sounds utterly confused. 

“We’re not at the dorm. Or am I seeing things?”

Jongin’s eyes are still sleepy, fogged and dim, heavy above dark bags.

“Shit, where are we?” 

“You tell me. How did we end up here?”

Sehun gives him a moment to shed the sleep from his brain, and Jongin’s expression soon becomes puzzled, a frown hardening between his brows.

“This is weird. Wait a second-- Is this the same room from the movie?”

That absolutely doesn't make things any better. “You mean that shitty movie you made me watch with you last night?” Sehun chuckles humorlessly.

“I didn’t make you. You invited yourself to do it and then threw away the chance to leave when I gave it to you.” Deadpans Jongin, with something like bitterness tinged to his voice. “Anyway, yeah. This is the same bedroom. I’m sure of it.”

The tone of certainty in Jongin’s statement sets Sehun on edge. None of that makes sense. Anxiety stabs at his core as he internally analyzes the implications of it. This bedroom is supposed to be haunted. He glances at Jongin with his heart leaping in his chest, only to find the other’s expression altering from confusion, to surprise and then to excitement. 

“This is pretty cool!” Jongin exclaims, and Sehun levels him with an indignant look. If there’s anything Sehun doesn’t deserve, it’s this, and he most certainly did not sign up for it.

“To you maybe. Not to me.” He huffs. “I bet this is one of Chanyeol’s sick pranks. Baekhyun Hyung too.” Sehun rolls off the bed, planting his feet on the floor. Grudgingly. Whatever Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s intentions are, they weren’t amusing to Sehun. 

“Wait, what if it’s the whole house?” Jongin chimes, and Sehun halts in his tracks. He peeks at the door, wide open, outside is dim and uninviting. A sinking feeling rises in his chest. 

“You mean-- They had a whole house built like the one from the movie?” He asks, not because he’s doubting it, but as a form of processing it. Chanyeol has incredible tactics when he wants to make something happen. This is no big deal for him. There's a 99 percent chance that he's the one pulling the strings. 

“It’s Chanyeol Hyung we’re talking about. He’s probably booked the whole block for this.”

“I’m so going to revoke his best friend card. I swear to God.” Sehun curses under his breath, swinging his legs back onto the mattress, as though to impede any invisible forces trying to grab his shins from under the bed. He should probably check if there’s someone there, but he’s rooted in place. 

“Come on, let’s check it out,” Jongin says cheerfully, forcing Sehun out of the bed by his wrist, despite his frozen limbs wanting to keep him frozen. He begins to wonder if all of this could be real, but he doesn’t want to take his chances.

As a matter of fact, it’s an undoubtedly impeccable replication of the movie house, only proving to him that it's all awfully real. A narrow and short corridor stretches just beyond the door. A set of spiral stairs leading downstairs awaits for them right ahead. It’s 2 am on the clock. The walls are cold to the touch, and a framed picture of the two of them from their adolescence hanging on the wall doesn’t miss Sehun’s eyes. 

“Holy shit, this is incredible!” Jongin muses as he descends the stairs with the eagerness of a child who’s been offered candy. Sehun can’t help but follow him, forcing his legs through the motions. “It’s  _ just  _ like the movie house. All of it. This must have been mad expensive.” He mutters dumbfoundedly as his fingers trace along the surface of a shelf.

Downstairs, the house is what is expected from a modest, harmless residence. The fact that it’s so spotless and tidy only makes it a thousand times more scary. From a haunted house Sehun expected mould crawling up walls and cobwebs hanging from corners. Oddly, it’s almost as if Sehun can feel at peace in it, that is, until he remembers the ghost supposedly haunting it. 

“Why are you so excited about this?” He asks adamantly while Jongin explores the living room like he’s supposed to find a gift hidden somewhere. 

“Why are you not?” Jongin continues rummaging through sets of drawers curiously, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation, not even bothering to question it. 

“Well, for starters, don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous and that they went so overboard? Don’t even get me started on how they got us here, like did they drug us? I’m not okay with that and neither should you be. They must have given us pretty heavy shit to blackout like that and not realize we were being brought over here?” He crosses his arms pointedly, expecting to talk some sense into Jongin. He finally stops scurrying about, turning to Sehun only to give a shrug and another baseless excuse.

“Well, I’m a pretty heavy sleeper. I can say the same about you.”

Impatiently, Sehun pinches the bridge of his nose. Jongin cannot be that careless and unguarded, for God’s sake. Then it occurs to him that, in fact, Jongin’s anything but that. 

“They lost common sense doing this. Unless --” He trails off, narrowing his eyes at Jongin. “You’re with them. You’re part of this prank too, aren’t you?” He braves two large steps towards Jongin, an accusatory finger pointing at him. Taken by surprise, Jongin holds his palm up in defense. 

“I swear. I’m not.” He clasps his palms together, as if begging. “I do think the idea is pretty good, though.”

And that’s the last straw. Sehun flails his hands, signaling that he’s giving up, then he turns on his heels and stomps towards the door. “Alright, so make yourself at home. I don’t have a good feeling about this place. I’m out.”

He hears Jongin's gradually become distant. “Wait, don’t go.”

“Sorry, bro. This is not my scene.” Sehun twists the handle of the door, it creaks, the sound becoming whispers that fill the room, urging him to run. However, it’s stuck. Sehun tries it again, roughly. It’s locked. He shifts to another door only to find it just as unrelenting. Cold washes over him. He crosses the length of the entire house with hectic steps towards the kitchen back doors with a rising suspicion that luck isn’t playing on his team. As expected, the door is locked tight. 

“We’re trapped?! Seriously?!”

“Maybe this is some sort of game. You know, like those escape room games. And we have to find a way out. Solving riddles and stuff.” Jongin guesses, back pressed against a wall as he watches Sehun pace around the house frenetically. Sehun makes a noise of distaste from the back of his throat, anger boiling beneath the surface. Right now he really,  _ really  _ hates his Hyungs. 

“How can this only get worse? I’m calling them right now.” He pats around his pockets, finding nothing. He doesn’t even have a shirt on to begin with. “Right, I don’t have my phone. Do you have yours?”

“Nope,”

The whole situation almost feels removed from reality entirely. If the anxiety creeping up his chest didn’t feel this palpable, he’d still delude himself into believing he’s dreaming. 

“I’ll try the telephone.” He heads towards the kitchen, where the telephone is tucked neatly into its mount. His fingers prod forcefully at the dials. Again and again. Met with nothing but silence, he heaves a prolonged sigh. 

“Let me guess. Line’s dead?” Jongin assumes with an apology hanging in his gaze, like this is somehow his fault. And considerably, it is. But it’s Sehun’s fault all the same, whatever this came to be. 

“Shit.” He hazards, unable to keep the anxiety at bay. “If we break the windows then-” He grabs the nearest chair, eyeing the windows, with a sudden rush of determination rattling him. 

“The windows are tinted, Sehun.” Jongin mumbles, just when Sehun is about to lift the chair over his head. He halts, dumps the chair back to its place, powerlessly. His hopes are crumbling. He glares at the windows once more, all boarded up, leaving only the slimmest of slits for the moonlight to struggle through.

There’s absolutely no way out.

“Fuck this! How are we supposed to get out?”

“We must crack the game.” Jongin tells him, trying to negotiate the situation despite its grotesqueness. “Come on, you’re pretty good at it. Aren’t you a detective too? You do this all the time.”

“Those are scripted. I have a security team with me at all times.” Sehun counters, unconvinced. This shitty and unprotected house can never compare to all the hospitality provided on set. And as far as he can gather, this is no production show set. 

“Think about all the hard work Chanyeol Hyung put into this. You can’t just give up. Let’s try this out, you and me. It’ll be fun.” 

Jongin insists, sheepishly nudging Sehun's naked arm. He looks like he can make do with all of this, always capable of finding enjoyment no matter how bad the situation is. Jongin, the personification of the sun, a beam of positivity. The exact opposite of Sehun. 

“Easy for you to say.”

“It’s just a game. None of this is real. Hyung would never put you in actual danger. He probably just wants you to let off some steam. You’ve been really busy lately. He knows you can pull this off.” 

Sehun tries to find sense in Jongin's words, and he actually finds some. The fact that he's managing to remain so put-together while Sehun is freaking out tells him that Jongin has a much better insight into the situation than he does. Taking that into consideration, at last, Sehun caves. He doesn't really have anywhere else to go, anyway. 

“Okay, fine. But you’d better put all that horror movie knowledge to use and get us out of here. Soon.”

Jongin cheers with a small punch in the air, then his brow creases all of a sudden, considering Sehun's conditions.

“You’re not gonna help me?"

Sehun's answer dies in his throat when the chandelier suddenly rattles and sways angrily on the ceiling above them, out of nowhere, it's crystals' clattering against each other making the sound resonate through the room. They both inch closer to each other in reflex. 

It's just the wind, or gravity itself, Sehun reassures himself, fools himself into believing it, even when he can't feel any traces of wind flowing inside the sealed house. 

“Where should we start?” Sehun questions as he feels a chill shoot down his spine. When Jongin speaks, his breathing is a little shaky against Sehun's cheek, though his eyes are brighter than ever.

“Hmm, if this is the paranormal activity house, then we’re most likely being filmed. The camera upstairs in the bedroom must have caught something while we were sleeping.” He deduces, tapping against his chin like he does when he's thoughtful.

“We should watch the footage, there’s a laptop there too. Maybe we can find something useful.” 

That sounds like a good kickoff. Sehun realizes he's kind of lucky. A creepy house, a ghost, and Kim Jongin. There couldn't be a better combination than that.

“Lead the way.” He rolls his shoulders and flexes his muscles in preparation, buckling down to the game. He's as ready as he'll ever be.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


👻👻👻

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The bedroom door is left ajar, allowing a dim amber glow to meander in as they sit on the bed beside each other, laptop resting on their laps. Sehun slipped on a neglected shirt that he found tucked away in the wardrobe, though at first, he was reluctant to dress in something without knowing who it belonged to. It hugs his chest a bit too uncomfortably, but it's more tolerable than wandering around half naked, so to speak. 

He shamelessly clings to Jongin's side as they silently play the footage on the laptop. He feels slightly unwell about watching himself in the same room, in the same bed, as the one from the horror movie. 

It’s quiet for a while after the video rolls. Like always, the two of them start on opposite sides of the queen sized bed with at least a foot of space between them. And, like always, they drift closer to one another as time passes, though whether it’s habitual or instinctual Sehun would never dare delve into. He sucks a breath inwards and stares intently at the door on the screen instead, fearing that some sort of nasty beast would abruptly take form there to startle them. But nothing comes. The tension builds and builds until it becomes too much to swallow, and then footage abruptly reaches its end, with no scare of any sort.

“Looks like we've hit a dead-end. The recording only started a couple of hours ago. It’s just us sleeping.” Jongin vaguely waves a hand through his hair. 

Sehun’s partially relieved the recording turned out to be inconclusive, but he’s also frustrated all the same, imprisoned inside that house with no clues for a way out. This game is starting to get on his nerves.

“Turn them off.” He demands, disgruntled.

“What? Why?”

“I don’t feel good about it. Didn’t the cameras get them killed in the movie?”

“It wasn't the cameras. The cameras actually helped them figure out what was happening. Besides, if someone’s really watching us, they would know if everything’s alright with us if we keep them on.” Jongin explains, always having a keen eye for details. As much as Sehun disregards the use of the cameras, he supposes not having them on would probably put them at disadvantage. 

“Makes sense. What do we do now?”

“I think we should just wait?” Jongin suggests, pushing himself off the bed. “Come on, let’s head back downstairs. This bedroom gives me the creeps.”

“Tell me about it,” Agrees Sehun, trailing right behind Jongin. He’s suspecting that nothing major will ever happen, and that’s just the key point of the prank. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to let his guards down regardless. 

“Well, the house is nice, if you take a look at it. We have food, we have electricity.” Jongin remarks as they flop down the leather couch, their knees pressed close. He’s got a point, if they’re going to spend the night, they might as well make good use of its supplements.

“Do we have Wi-fi?”

“Well, not that. I’m sure you can survive without your phone for a few hours.” Jongin jabs, with a hint of sarcasm hanging in his voice. 

Sehun says tartly “No, I can’t.” He attempts to give Jongin a bland face, but he can feel his face stiffening. He’s well aware that he’s a tad bit addicted to his phone, there’s no need to throw shade. 

“Let’s just sit here and wait. Let’s catch up. We haven’t seen each other in ages. This is why I’m enjoying this. We get to spend some time together.” Jongin nudges him with his socked toes. Sehun ignores the faltering of his heartbeat at Jongin’s words. There's a lot of things he wants to tell Jongin that time hasn’t allowed him to. Little moments that had him thinking  _ ‘I need to tell Jongin later. He’d definitely laugh.’ _

He’d have traded  _ anything  _ to have Jongin trapped inside a house with him all night long. Not this house, though. He guessed they’d come back to that chat at another time. He aims for an insignificant conversation instead. 

“Do you think things will start flying soon?”

“The spirit will have to manifest itself soon. So I suggest you be ready.” Jongin speaks like he just knows, like this is child’s play to him. It’s quite baffling. Then a thought seems to cross his mind, his gaze lingers on Sehun just a bit before he tears it away and pinches at his earlobe, like he does whenever he’s shy. 

“Maybe we-- Maybe we should make out.” He mutters, averting his gaze. 

In different circumstances, Sehun would’ve thrown himself on Jongin’s lap and claimed his mouth already. He soon mentally bats the thought away, because it’s just too much.

“Not a chance. What if the demon pokes my asshole? I couldn’t get it up knowing the Hyungs are watching us.” It would be so typical of Chanyeol to release the ghost just when they’re balls deep-ly connected. Seeking pleasure right now would just be unwise of them. 

Jongin makes a face that he probably intends to be neutral. But Sehun can see uncertainty and disappointment, and he knows there’s likely some regret underneath.

“I didn’t say to have sex. Just to make out, you know, to kill time.” 

Sehun’s met with understandable dismay and the large dose of embarrassment that seems to be rolling off of Jongin in waves, but he works past it to say.

“We can never just make out, Jongin.” 

Whatever he’s feeling in the moment, his voice betrays him by coming out gravelly, like he’s just woken up. He notices Jongin’s shoulders slouch badly, seemingly upset, but he leaves his thoughts unspoken. If they start bickering, they won’t see the end of it. It might even piss off the ghost, and that’s the last thing Sehun wants. 

Jongin clears his throat and stands up. “Fine, I’ll go look for some clues around the house.” His voice tone sounds mismatched for their conversation too. Just a tad too urgent. A smidge too serious. The tension floating in the room isn’t just for fear of a ghost anymore.

“Like what?”

“Like where it is most likely to manifest, you know. Usually there’s a spot in the house that attracts evil energy. Like a beacon.” Jongin says, chewing his bottom lip, shifting his view around, avoiding him. 

“Is that a thing?”

“It is.” 

Sehun hums quietly, wanting to offer him company, but deep down knowing Jongin needs some space away from him. And he so happens to have found the perfect excuse for that. 

“Of course you’d know. Well, I’ll stay here waiting until the pans start floating.” He says, and wordlessly, Jongin disappears into the kitchen. Sehun’s heart stutters, makes him feel like he’s been punched. He hugs his knees on the couch, a million thoughts swirling in his mind, like he was caught in a carousel. When it comes to a stop, he realizes he’s exhausted, blackness comes over him, and he slowly drifts off to a dreamless sleep. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


👻👻👻

His eyes snap open startlingly, finding Jongin watching him, emotionless. Sehun scrambles to a sitting position, blinks the fog of sleep from his eyes and his brain. His body feels oddly numb.

“What-- Did anything happen? Did you find anything?”

“No,” Jongin replies, eyes still fixed on him with a raw blankness that Sehun can’t quite decipher. His breath catches in his throat, and he looks away. Jongin’s obviously still upset. 

“How long was I out?”

“Like half an hour.”

There seems to be no end to this prolonged and enigmatic night. He chances a glance at Jongin, finds him motionless. “Are you okay? You look… weird.”

“I’m okay, yeah.” Jongin’s voice is tight. Something tells Sehun he’s misreading the entire situation, and Jongin is not just upset. There is something else to the dullness in his eyes that is not revealed in his face and Sehun can’t pick up on. It’s concealed, out of reach.

“I don’t know how I managed to fall asleep in this creepy ass house.” His breath holds the bitter flavor of fear. Coldness waves through his stomach, and he realizes the temperature has dropped drastically. Sehun pulls his shoulders tight together as he huddles into himself for warmth.

“You must be exhausted.” Jongin reasons, just as the lights begin to flicker. They both gasp audibly, and from upstairs comes loud stomping sounds. The sound of the door slamming shut follows, and then there’s silence.

Panic strikes Sehun’s guts. He should have been prepared for the noises the house was bound to project, but as expected, he isn’t. 

“What the fuck was that?”

Unlike before, now they can almost feel evil oozing from every crack and crevice in the walls of this house.

“I’m gonna go check. Stay here.” Jongin volunteers, but before he can even stand upright, Sehun grabs him by the wrist. 

“No way. I’m coming with you, Hyung. You’re not leaving me here alone.” He sounds desperate, but he's long lost the ability to keep it together. 

“Okay. Stay close.”

They move stealthily, hands joined.

The bottom step from the stairs squeaks as Jongin applies pressure with his foot, and each sound emitted, threatening to give them away. 

An uneasy breeze blows down the corridor and grasps Sehun with a chilly touch. Its fingers circle around his body, tenderly along every inch of him. Instinctively, he presses closer against Jongin's side. Jongin’s strong and steady presence seems like one of the only things left standing.

Ahead, the bedroom door is shut. Jongin gently rattles his knuckles against the cold door. It lurches open. Sehun’s ears resonate with the quiet squeal of the hinges as the interior of the room becomes visible. They peer through the darkness, but they find no one within it, making Sehun's stomach knot as waves of uncertainty crash over him.

The TV has been turned on, but only static roars are on its screen, echoing through the silence of the room. Only fear keeps Sehun's feet planted to the floor. His eyes catch a brief flash of light coming from the corridor, like a sign beckoning him. Something Sehun would ignore for the life of his, if it wasn’t for one disturbing detail. The glass covering the framed picture on the wall is cracked, as if someone had forced their fist violently through it. Precisely, at the area around Sehun’s face. Bewildered, he approaches it, snatching the picture off the wall. 

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

Jongin’s soon shuffling towards him, peering over his shoulder curiously. “Probably not,”

Sehun doesn’t buy that. He examines the picture again, there’s a meaning behind it. Jongin’s intact face smiling next to Sehun’s distorted one. That’s clearly a message. A threat, putting it mildly. There’s something completely off-putting and nerve-wracking about this whole thing. Calling it a game doesn't seem applicable anymore, when it brings so much danger. 

“Are you sure? It’s just my face that’s cracked. Does this fucker have something against me?”

“Wait, Sehun. There’s something here.” Jongin whispers, suddenly short of breath. There’s a heavy, deadly energy hanging widely around them, quite unexplainable, but too present to ignore. 

“Where?”

“Here, with us. Can’t you feel it?” Jongin’s body grows stiff, like if he as much as breathes, the force will snap and capture him. For the first time, Jongin looks scared. Vagrant footsteps thunder towards them, and then a cold blow creeps right under Jongin’s ear, making him shiver, the forceful hiss coercing his hair to curl around his jaw. All pretense lost, they bolt for the way they came in, tumbling over their feet.

There’s something chasing them, right on their heels, breathing down their necks, almost as if mocking them as it allows them to sprint for the exit.

“We gotta get out of here right now.” Sehun yells out, punching at the doors. Every blow sends pain through his knuckles, but at this point he couldn’t care less even if they start bleeding. So he keeps desperately assaulting doors and windows both, with each minute that passes putting their lives at greater risks. 

“Sehun, I have to tell you something.” Jongin lands a hand on Sehun’s shoulder to hold him back, struggling against his movements that just won’t stop chasing for a way out. Unintended, Sehun shoves him aside, but stubbornly Jongin reaches out to him again, holding him at arm's length until Sehun gives in and his nerves slowly start to settle down.

“We don’t have time, Jongin.”

“Yes, we do. Listen to me.” He shakes Sehun forcibly until he makes sure he's snapped out of his wretched trance. “You weren’t asleep, Sehun. When you fell asleep, you talked to me. But it wasn’t you. It was  _ it  _ .”

Sehun stills completely, appalled. “What are you talking about?”

“It was inside you. It talked to me.”

Sehun peels Jongin’s hand off of him as if it burns. Or as if his skin would hurt Jongin to touch. His clammy hands feel himself up, searching for any damage or any traces that might show him he’s not himself anymore. The numbness he felt upon waking up, like he didn’t belong in his own skin, was the only proof that his body has been used. He feels like he can’t trust himself anymore. “Crap… What did I --  _ It  _ \-- say?”

“It told me to leave. It gave me a chance to go. But I didn’t. I’m not gonna leave you.” Jongin touches him again, remaining persistent even when Sehun flinches. Despite the excruciating panic crawling up his insides, Jongin’s touch still anchors him, the only thing sustaining him. 

He can’t help wanting to give Jongin a part of himself for safekeeping. Whatever’s left of himself, untouched by the unearthly force, if there’s even any. Regardless, he knows Jongin would cherish it.

“You’re saying this is all real?”

“Yes. It is.” Jongin rasps, then barely audibly, he confesses. “Sehun, I’m scared.”

It's clear in his watery eyes, the way his hands tremble and his voice cracks. There's a lump viciously twisting Sehun's throat that he's struggling to swallow down. 

“Why didn’t you go? You could have asked for help.”

“I couldn’t leave you behind. Sehun, it wants to kill you.”

Sehun shakes his head, in disbelief. “Why me?”

“I don’t know,” A sob slips past Jongin's lips, but his tears are blocked from view when he lowers his head and hides behind his bangs. Sehun can still see the slight shake of his shoulders and his quiet whimpers. 

Sehun opens his mouth to say something, but finds he has nothing on his tongue except questions, none of which he can voice. He cages Jongin in his arms as he noses along his nape. Jongin leans against him like a flower seeking out the warmth of the sun, but Sehun has nothing to offer him other than the coldness of his frightened body. He feels powerless. 

This time the feeling racing down his spine is a lot more like wrath. He's done with this sick game. 

“Well, what are they waiting for? I’m right here.” Sehun blurts out into the house. He pulls away from Jongin, spinning on his heels as he challenges the unseen, suddenly hit with newfound boldness. “Come and get me, you son of a bitch.”

Suddenly something tugs at him, something with an icy grip, yanking him off the floor and dragging him through the air, away from Jongin. 

“Sehun!” Jongin shouts as he Sehun gets dragged farther and farther away from him, crawling at the floor and thrashing against the invisible spirit. He can feel its grip tightening and its claws digging into his skin, its hot breath fanning closer to his ear, sounding a lot like a snicker. 

Sehun screams and struggles, closes his eyes as if there's anything that needs to be hidden from view, when his opponent is unable to be seen. It all stops abruptly, like it wasn’t even there. It's just gone. He's free, though the uncertainty of another sudden attack still lingers in the air. Sehun lies there on the floor, breathlessly, wondering how he got to gamble with this life like this. Taking back his words, he wishes all of this mess could be just part of a harmless prank. 

In a heartbeat Jongin's on his side, gathering him in his arms. Tears still wetting his cheeks. 

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He says in contradiction to the soreness throbbing in his leg. “I don’t fucking care. We’re leaving this house right now.” Pushing himself off the floor requires Jongin’s assistance as his limbs are still frozen and unyielding to the commands of his brain. Standing feels a lot like defying the enemy.

He tugs at Jongin’s hand, making for the doors even when they offer no escape. Then his steps are cut to an abrupt stop as Jongin doesn’t move from his spot. Confused, Sehun whips his head towards him with a question in his eyes, only to find him standing still, head down.

“Jongin? Come on, let’s go, man.” The hair on the back of Sehun’s neck stands up. He tugs again. Jongin doesn’t budge. When Jongin lifts his eyes again, ever so slowly, they’re not the same. They’re bathed in emptiness. Sehun’s known Jongin’s eyes to be the most expressive. In his gaze he holds all his emotions, and he’s never been scared to let them be seen.

Whatever’s altered in him, took away all transparency and replaced it with venom.

“We’re not going anywhere,” The natural color begins to drain from Jongin’s skin, slowly being replaced by a sickly color as he continues to speak in a strange voice that doesn’t belong to him, “You’re dying here tonight.” is what flows from his mouth as a wicked grin spreads across his face. 

Sehun feels like he’s going to be sick from hearing such a thing spill from Jongin’s mouth so naturally; the feeling only worsens as what can only be blood swells in his eyes and pours in thick streams down his cheeks and past his mouth where more blood freely oozes out like putrid drool. Sehun’s barely able to stand the sight.

_ It  _ has gotten him.

“Let Jongin go!” Sehun cries, a dreading feeling swirling wildly around in his stomach, threatening to make a hasty exit upwards. His growing anguish is the last thing Sehun needs in his current situation. Still, he cannot let go of Jongin’s hand, even when his mind is telling him to run. “Leave him alone. You want me, don’t you? You can have me. Just leave him out of this.”

“Aw, look at you. You want to protect me so much. It almost feels like you’re in love with me.” Jongin mocks relentlessly in a singsong voice, the hateful grin that it wore now coated in blood. His eyes slip closed for a quick moment before snapping open, revealing the absence of the eyes entirely, now replaced by a dark, empty, black void that glints in the dim light of the house as blood streams from his eyes more readily than before. “Do you love me?” He asks with mock innocence, a soft gurgle to his voice as blood pools in the back of his mouth before gushing out in waves of alarming, increasing frequency.

“Listen to me, Jongin. You’re stronger than this. You can fight it. Come on.” Sehun shouts, ignoring Jongin’s hurtful accusations, though unable to deny them. His emotions begin to get the best of him, “Jongin, please!”

“You’re pathetic, Sehun. When will you realize that  _ ‘us’  _ will never happen?” The demon continues to twist the knife into Sehun’s wounds. He might have no physical wound on his body, but he knows by unfortunate experience that emotional pain is a lot deadlier. 

“Why do you think I brought you all the way here in the first place? I’m so done with you.” Jongin snarls, pouncing on him and grabbing his neck, squeezing brutally until it cuts Sehun’s breath off, his feet lifting off the floor. It hurts, but it doesn’t hurt as much as the fact that it’s Jongin doing it to him.

“You’re not Jongin! I don’t believe a word you say!” Sehun roars, tears welling up and rolling down his cheeks “You could never be him!” 

“You really want to convince yourself of that? What? Do you think I have feelings for you too?”

Sehun wants to speak, to retaliate, to shout. But his voice dies in his mouth. He can only whimper and close his eyes, wincing as he feels Jongin take a whiff of him, nuzzling down his neck, like he’s some sort of succulent meal. “You’re so fucking insufferable. I’m going to make this easier for you. I’m done being nice. I do not want you. I told you so many times. Just friendship. But at this point I can’t stand even that with you.”

“So what now? You’re gonna kill me because I love you?”

Jongin smirks. He’s enjoying this in a repulsive way. The blackness in Jongin’s void eyes regard him from beneath heavy lids.

“You’re ridiculous, Sehun.” He snorts, digging his now sharp and long protuted nails into the flesh of Sehun’s neck. “I’m almost feeling sorry for you. But the intention here is to get you killed. And I get to do that with my own hands.”

Sehun’s mind is starting to fail, like an engine that turns over and over, never kicking into action, with air unable to reach his lungs. He can’t formulate a thought. Every action can lead to more pain, though he doesn’t think there’s worse pain than being wounded by Jongin’s hands. Hands that used to give him only adoration. 

“I know you want me to fuck you!” Comes a sharp reply from Jongin’s mouth, gashes and welts swelling into existence on his face “Or maybe the other way around, huh?” he chants, his voice gaining a dark, rumbling tone as he continues with more volume, the skin of his face looking as if it’s beginning to melt, “Fuck me! fuck me! Fuck me!”

“Stop!” Is all Sehun can manage to say while attempting to reign in his emotions and increasing nausea.

The demon's tongue appears and slides over his full bottom lip. His smile looks slightly dangerous, completely sensuous, and totally smug. But most of all, it looks hungry.

“I’ll bet your tears taste delicious,” Jongin growls before continuing, “Fuck me! Fuck me Sehun! I’ll rip off this dick and fuck you with it if I have to!” He snaps, a horrifying amount of blood drooling out of his mouth. Sehun shuts his eyes in pained shock, suffering and misery swelling in his heart upon taking in the horror before him.

There’s one last deep growl, before all is gone. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


👻👻👻

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He's being sucked into an endless darkness. His vision becomes blurry, tears start to roll down his cheek. A strained cry escapes his lungs, barely audible, almost silent as he's pulled into what can only be described as Hell for it only gives him pain. 

“Jongin!” he screams, louder than the last time. His hands are starting to hurt as his skin scratches on the marble tiles of the floor, blood starting to seep through the cuts on his fingers. “Jongin!” he repeats the name in an uncontrollable sob that tears out of him, echoes over the roofs of the house to be picked up by the wind.

A hand lands on his shoulder, and someone starts to shake him. He tries to move away, communicating his desire to be left alone. The shaking persists, becoming even harsher instead. Someone’s calling his name, and it’s distracting him.

Sehun groans and tries to push the hand off his shoulder, but it doesn’t help. Whoever is next to him is now trying to pull him away from the remnants of his best friend, his brother, his partner, the one soul who understands him the most in this entire world.

But it’s worse than that, because Jongin isn’t just his friend, he’s so much more. Sehun knows the difference. The way he longs for Jongin isn't for just a friend. The way he's so scared of losing him either. His unpredictable reactions to Jongin much less.

Sehun has never had a chance to tell him that. He would never get a chance now.

“No!” he shouts, slapping the hand away. “No, Jongin!”

“Sehun, what the hell?” the voice next to him becomes clearer, and another figure appears before his eyes.

It’s blurry still, tears in Sehun’s eyes making it difficult to see. Something in it looks familiar, however, making him want to reach out to it. “Jongin?” he calls as his sight starts to clear.

“Shhh,” the man above him whispers. “It’s okay.” He's smiling, so brightly it looks like he stole the light from the sun. And he's just as stunning. 

Sehun bolts up, throwing his arms around Jongin as tightly as he can. “Oh my God, Jongin. You’re here, you’re okay. I’m so relieved. You’re still you.” He cups the familiar face, his fingers rubbing against the soft stubble on Jongin's sharp jaw. “How? I saw you...” he gasps, his words coming out cramped, his chest feeling too heavy to talk properly.

“Bad dream,” Jongin replies, then furrows his eyebrows. ”I’m guessing it was one, you were tossing and turning. It took a moment to wake you up.”

Sehun blinks a few times, realizing suddenly he isn’t in the house anymore, but in their room. It’s bright in here, sunlight seeping in through a large window, falling down a carpeted floor, reflecting from a multitude of surfaces made of marble and dark wood. The place still looks rather unwelcoming, but there are small things around him: vases, flowers, books on the shelves which makes it look lived in, reminding him it's all real. 

There are silk-thin white curtains on the window itself, flowing gently in a light breeze. From the other side of it, Sehun can hear distant sounds of a city, the far away clamour of a crowd. Yet it’s quiet, barely audible and drowned completely in songs of birds sitting by the windows, perched in their garden, their chirps melodic, relaxing. 

“I was so scared, Jongin. So scared.” Sehun's entire body trembles almost violently, and he starts to pant. “I wanted.. I needed-- I thought--,” he mutters, snapping his eyes open, turning to look at Jongin, wishing to push aside every last bit of his nightmare.

“Was it because of the movie? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it would be this bad to you.” Jongin soothes a hand up and down Sehun's back, holding him close. He's so warm, so solid, so  _ real  _ . “Do you want me to go get some water?”

“No, please. Just stay here. Don’t leave me.” Sehun clings to him for dear life, still tormented by the glimpses of the nightmare lingering in his mind. 

“Alright. I’m staying here.” Jongin assures him. “Do you want to talk about it? I’ve heard it usually helps if you tell someone what you dreamed about. You can tell me.”

Sehun hesitates for a moment. Recalling all of that torture might only worsen his pain. But it's also suffocating to keep it all inside. He licks his lips, and says. “We were in the house. And the invisible monster came after us. It possessed you and---” He trails off, shakes the thoughts away before they become too clear in his mind again. “You tried to hurt me. It was horrible.”

“It’s okay now. Do you think I’d ever be able to hurt you?”

“You wouldn’t, right?”

“Never,” Jongin smiles warmly, Sehun can feel it pressed against the skin on his shoulder. "Let's lie down again." He says, gently pushing Sehun down onto the bed again. Sehun sighs in relief as he's wrapped up in warmth and Jongin. Leaning onto his elbow, Jongin maneuvers his body into a position where he can reach for Sehun, move a strand of stray hair out of his face.

Sehun’s still trying to calm down when he feels a press of warm skin against his thigh and realizes he’s undressed. Licking his lips, he hurriedly glances around once again, to fully assess his surroundings, coming to his senses. 

He lies in a rather comfortable bed which is neither too hard nor too soft, dipping slightly under the weights of their bodies. There’s a light white blanket thrown over Jongin’s shoulders, but it falls down a little and reveals his bare, smooth chest. The man himself looks relaxed, well rested as if not even for a second the movie has made any impact on him whatsoever. He's hovering above Sehun, holding himself on one elbow with ease. He's also spotting a serious case of bed hair, though not even that can affect his beauty.

Sehun wants to say a lot of things, but his throat is refusing to work properly, so he does the next best thing. Reaching up, he runs one of his hands over Jongin's chest, feeling the richness of smooth skin against his palm.

The memories of the events of the previous night start to slowly return to him. The feeling of Jongin's body resting against his, a glance that lingered a second too long, falling asleep in his arms. 

Breath catches in his throat, and Sehun has to blink, shake his head to push the horrible images from the nightmare away. “Jongin,” he whispers, his hand coming to the nape of Jongin’s head, pulling him closer.

Jongin tips over easily, unresisting, falling onto Sehun’s chest with a quiet yelp of complaint. Sehun doesn't even try to resist clashing their lips in a kiss. He worries for a moment as Jongin grows still, but slowly he starts to relax, answering it with enthusiasm, still tasting fresh.

None of this is new to them, but every time feels like the first time. The exhilaration of it, the euphoria that builds between them. Lately, just a touch feels impossible to get, and the longing becomes almost too unbearable.

It still isn’t enough, however, and Sehun tugs Jongin completely on top of himself, moaning into the kiss as he feels a hip pressing against his rapidly hardening member.

The movement prompts Jongin to shiver and pull away. “Do you want me-- want me to get you off?” he asks softly. His voice sounds a little hesitant, but there's a spark in his eyes, which tells Sehun he has no complaints about their current situation. 

“I need you,” Sehun replies simply, because this has nothing to do with lust. What he wants is a reassurance. He needs to know that this moment is real, that this isn’t an illusion born out of his inability to endure sinister cinema. 

Perhaps, all his emotions are written on his face, because Jongin’s expression changes, becoming suddenly concerned and understanding. “I’m here. This is real,” he says seriously, their eyes locking. With that, he leans down once again, recapturing Sehun's lips.

The kiss is deep and desperate, and Sehun can do nothing to stop a low groan rising from his chest. He closes his eyes and allows Jongin to take charge, enjoying the wet heat of his mouth, the scruffiness of his faint stubble that's tickling his lips. He feels a little dizzy, a little overwhelmed, so he holds tightly onto Jongin, because it's the only thing he can do to keep himself grounded in this reality.

Sehune feels Jongin shift, his hips rolling forward, making him gasp from the sudden pleasure. Without even thinking, he spreads his legs, freeing more space for Jongin to maneuver.

“Do you want me to do all the work?” Jongin chuckles above him, his mouth moving to nibble at Sehun’s neck.

Humming in agreement, Sehun embraces him and rolls them to the side. “Is this alright?” he inquires, rubbing the small of Jongin's back, still holding him as close as it's possible.

“More than alright,” Jongin smiles, his hand sliding effortlessly, boldly between their bodies, taking them both into a tight grip.

Sehun sighs as he feels the length of Jongin press against him, hot and solid. Moving even closer, he begins sliding slowly against him, getting lost in the incredible sensations. He wants to look at Jongin, wants to keep him in the field of his vision, wants this image to be the only thing left in his mind, but he can’t. With a sharp inhale of air, he drops his head onto the Jongin’s shoulder, tears gathering in his eyes once again.

“Jongin,” he moans, his every sense converging to the point of contact between them. It feels like everything else in the entire world disappears, like it becomes meaningless. What's left is Jongin's warmth only, his smell, the taste of his sweat skin.

“Shh, it’s fine,” Jongin replies, his voice sounding right above Sehun’s ear. His hand picks up the pace, holding them just a little tighter. There's no playfulness to his actions, no teasing. His each movement is precise but gentle, and it's exactly what Sehun needs. “I'm here, with you.”

Jongin's skilled with his hands, toying with the head of their cocks and rubbing them together as Sehun fucks into his fist, grunting along with Jongin as they chase their peak. 

Sehun comes with a soundless cry, his fingers digging into the skin of Jongin’s hip, tears rolling down his face. Somewhere next to him, he feels Jongin shudder, hears his own name muffled against his neck, but it seems far away, unfocused. Just for a moment he imagines all of it dissipating, and it terrifies him, so he holds onto Jongin as tight as he can, for as long as he's able to.

“I like it when it's just the two of us,” Jongin laughs quietly, turning his head just enough to place a soft kiss on Sehun’s cheek. "You always get so clingy."

Sehun chuckles back and loosens his grip, yet doesn’t let go completely. They lie there for a little longer, until the stickiness between them becomes uncomfortable. Jongin rolls off the bed first, while Sehun registers distantly as he pads around the room and gently cleans up Sehun’s chest and dick. He hisses at the touches on his sensitive length, but keeps his eyes closed, almost slipping back to sleep, happily this time. 

“I’m gonna go shower, okay? I have to be at the studio in a couple of hours.” Jongin tells him quietly before planting a heart-felt kiss onto Sehun’s forehead, and tucking him cozily under the warmth of the clean blankets. There’s no place Sehun would rather be. Maybe in the shower with Jongin, but after an exhaustive night charged with dreadful nightmares, his body’s rightfully demanding some real sleep.

“Ok. I’ll head out with you. For now, I’ll try to nap a little.”

“Scream if you need me.” Jongin chuckles, caressing Sehun’s cheek one last time before wandering into the bathroom. With a long, drowsy exhale Sehun rolls onto his side and allows his body to relax into fluffy pillows and soft blankets as he listens to the muffled sounds of the shower running and Jongin mindlessly humming to a tune Sehun recognizes as one of their favorite songs. Nothing better. Smiling, Sehun thinks that the song can easily become his lullaby. 

As he’s blinking slowly, the camera installed on the tripod by the corner of the room catches his eyes. Sehun doesn’t remember seeing that the other night. He frowns, an odd feeling swirling in his chest. The more he stares at the device, the more his sleep slips away. Until his eyes are frozen wide, and his mind fuels with the fear of new possibilities, new sources of danger and disaster.

It’s just a camera, he reassures himself, unable to look away from it. Though he doesn’t know where it came from or how it just magically appeared there, he tells him the thing brings no harm. Curiosity gets the best of him in the end and he scrambles off the bed, abandoning the warmth of the blankets, and kneeling roughly in front of the device. He stares at it as a mixture of hesitation and interest rises within him. He realizes the camera is on. 

_ He just needs to check, just in case  _ . He peers towards the bathroom door, making sure the shower is still on and Jongin’s soft hummings are still floating through the walls. In the end, he decides to take his chances. He grabs the camera and hastily sets it to play its recordings. His heart is pounding in his chest maddenly, both for the dread of what he’s about to watch, and for the probabilities of Jongin catching him in the act. There’s a huge chance he’s invading the other’s privacy. 

He watches on the footage as he and Jongin sleep on the bed, snuggled up against each other. He fast-forwards the recording finding nothing out of the ordinary other than the fact that as they shift around in their slumber, they easily switch positions. Jongin rests his head on Sehun’s chest as they have their arms around each other. 

When Jongin suddenly sits up on the bed, Sehun freezes and gasps, clasping a hand over his mouth to contain himself. He watches shockingly as Jongin, seemingly in a hypnotized trance, stands to his feet and just… stays there, watching Sehun sleep, motionless. He goes hours and hours like this, as Sehun advances the tape hoping to reach its ending. Eventually, around three hours of standing up still, Jongin simply settles on the bed again, and wraps his arms around Sehun as though nothing unusual had happened. 

For a while Sehun can’t move, too stunned. Petrified. Terrified. It’s Jongin’s lazy footsteps that prompts him to shake out of his daze, and sets the camera back where it belongs and hastily starts changing back to his own clothes. 

“Everything alright?” Jongin questions as he steps into the room. A smile on his lips and a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. His liviliness doesn’t leave room for any suspicions that he stayed up all night creeping on Sehun. 

“Yeah, I couldn’t really sleep.” Sehun manages a strained smile as he tugs on his jeans. 

“Oh,” Jongin turns his back on him, busying himself with choosing a fresh change of clothes from the drawers. “I’ll dress up real quick so we can leave. You should try eating something.”

The silence between them in the moments following feels miles wide and oppressive. Once he’s done changing, Sehun sits on the edge of the bed as he watches Jongin dress himself up, searching for any signs that can show him Jongin’s possibly not himself under that layer of tan skin. Sehun holds his breath, his heartbeat loud in his chest, as he sees nothing but Jongin’s nakedness in front of him. Everything is still him. Sehun has committed to his memory every curve of his lean, muscled frame, still remembers the thrill it gives him every time he touches him, in that contagious way Jongin has over him. 

“Jongin, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” Jongin says as he slips on a cotton plain shirt. 

“Are you a sleepwalker?”

Jongin eyes him skeptically. “No, not that I know of. Why?”

“Nothing, just wondering.” Sehun murmurs, uncertain of that answer he was seeking in the first place. From all the years they lived together, never once did Sehun witness Jongin sleepwalking. And if he happened to have said ‘yes, I am’ that still wouldn’t explain much. Surely, Jongin wouldn’t know if his body’s being violated by unearthly forces of any sorts. Just by the thought of it, and by the memories of it as well, tears prickle at Sehun’s eyes.

He lets Jongin finish tidying himself up in silence as he struggles to remain reticent without Jongin noticing it. He doesn’t know what it means, if there’s something wrong with Jongin, if he should just ignore it, if he’s overthinking it, or if anything is related to his nightmare. It sounds like nonsense. All he knows is that he’s scared, and when it comes to feelings, they always make sense to him. 

In an attempt to hide the trepidation manifesting in his eyes in the form of tears, Sehun looks away, his view landing on the polaroid pictures strewn about Jongin’s bedside table. Sehun gave it to him not long ago, after one of his game broadcasts. He hated his face in the picture, the pose, the lightning. Everything. He’s just bad at taking selfies overall, but the requests for them are mandatory. Jongin insisted on keeping them, claiming that Sehun looked cute and sexy. Sehun handed them over with a blush on his cheeks he could feel expanding all the way to his ears. Jongin had laughed and tucked the pictures into the book he was reading at that time.

Sehun stares at the picture, doesn’t know if it means anything, the fact that it’s burnt over his face now, like suddenly the flashing ruined it when he took it, or something else entirely decided to burn it, like a threat. Sehun vividly remembers the pictures looking clean, with no damage when he gave it to Jongin. He takes the picture and slides it into his pocket, not having the heart to suspect it was Jongin’s doing. It’ll hurt too much. He’s had enough hurt.

“Come on. There's still time to grab some coffee." Jongin is waiting for him at the door, his smile so genuine and charming that it washes away all thoughts Sehun dared to even harbor against him. Jongin offers him a hand, chuckling when Sehun accepts it almost too instantly, too eagerly. 

It’s like he can’t help it, Jongin tenderly kisses Sehun once more, second nature like they’ve been doing it; too many strings attached. Sehun attaches himself, wrapped tighter and tighter in Jongin’s strings, unregretfully. He doesn’t think anyone will ever detach him from Jongin. He’s pure and magnificent in every way, no matter what.

They head out hand in hand. Safe and happy. Sehun basks in the serenity of the moment while he can, while he also feels as if someone, or something, is watching him, waiting to drag him into the shadows.


End file.
